Horns Locked
by IndigoGrapefruit
Summary: Because when words could not penetrate, they had to resort to rap battles.


A note about the story (THIS IS NOT A SONG FIC): This is a story centered on rap battles. The rap chunk of the fic is spaced in the way which words rhyme and it is _completely original. _Do not steal my shiz or we are going to have serious problems. Swearing, slang and syntax errors do appear in the verses to amplify the hip hop culture itself. You have been warned.

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><p><strong>Horns Locked<strong>

With a cup of liquor squeezed between her fingers, Sumire roamed Mochu's house in search of her boyfriend. It was hardly surprising for Koko to be MIA at parties like this. One minute he was right there and the next he was gone.

She gritted her teeth, thinking of the voluptuous sorority chick he had on his hips the one time they sneaked into a club together. Sumire hadn't known when she sauntered up to her later. She genuinely thought the girl was sweet, but not someone she would like to keep in contact with. Then Ruka sent her that image.

_Definitely_ someone Sumire would not like to keep in contact with.

But she was a firm believer that it wasn't entirely that girl's fault. After all, Koko had played a part in it as well, even if he had been drunk out of his mind as he claimed. Sumire briefly contemplated whether she should throw her punch in his face once she found him.

Thank god he wasn't up in the bedrooms, or even the bathroom. He wasn't complete scum after all. Her quest to seek him took her down to the basement, where the lights were dim, music was loud and everyone held up glowsticks.

Mochu sure knew how to throw rad parties.

Too rad, in her opinion.

She maneuvered through the shadowy bodies moving on the makeshift dance floor-slash-bar. Koko's tall, lanky posture gave him away almost immediately. As expected, he had company, and it wasn't anyone she knew.

It wasn't even Anna for god sakes. Or Misaki. Or anyone she had ever seen. But he was slow dancing with the hussy on a level of intimacy Sumire could not forgive. He had a girlfriend present. Should he not be dancing with her, Sumire, instead?

She slithered toward the comfortable pair like a snake closing in on its prey. The punch sloshed in her drink and for a second, Sumire thought about how much she would have loved to pour the drink down that hussy's V-neck. And she fully would have, but Mochu wasn't going to be cool with it, and she promised him she wouldn't make a scene again.

Instead, she walked up to a guy loitering in the corner and demanded, "hold this. And keep it."

The boy gave one glance down at the cup and shrugged, taking it from her hands. It contained some of Mochu's legendary punch. He was probably glad to get a free drink.

He then lifted his head to look up at her. "Hi, I'm Kaoru."

"Don't bother," scoffed Sumire, rolling her eyes. Honestly, Mochu had such shoddy friends she couldn't get by one party without being hit on twenty million times. "I have a boyfriend."

When she marched over to Koko, he and the girl were still grinding slowly. Sumire gritted her teeth scathingly. She could not believe it. That freaking cheater, after all she had done for him? Her body temperature was rising at a scary rate.

"You!" she screeched, yanking the girl by her shoulders and pulling her off of Koko. "Get off my boyfriend." The girl looked like she was about to protest but Sumire ignored her, turning to Koko. "And _you_, I swear, one more time... One more time." Her finger jabbed his chest accusingly. "Don't you tell me you're drunk Koko. You are not drunk, you liar."

"Um, excuse—" began the girl.

"Get the fuck out," demanded Sumire. "I have no patience to deal with the likes of you."

The girl raised a fist, no doubt to smack her for her impertinence, but Koko intervened. His companion glared at him as if accusing him for siding with Sumire.

"Relax, she's just a bit temperamental. Don't do something you're going to regret."

Sumire raised an eyebrow. _I'm temperamental?_

"Tell her to go away," Koko's—what? Like fiftieth?—fling whined. Sumire would have backhanded her there and then if Koko hadn't spoken up once again.

"I gotta talk to her," he said with a cool facade and a sickeningly "warm" smile. "I gotta calm her down before she makes a scene. You know how it is."

The girl crossed her arms, shooting Sumire a smirk before cooing, "call me later, okay?" Then she shot Sumire one more smirk and threaded into the phalanx of dancing teenagers, out of sight.

"Give me your cell phone," the jealous girlfriend commanded.

"Why should I?" he shot back coolly.

"I'm deleting her number from her cell phone!" Her voice raised an octave as she spoke. "I know you have her number and I know you're going to call it later. In the middle of the night maybe? When I'm studying for a test maybe? During my exam time maybe?"

She could already feel an underlying rhythm pulsating through her ears, a beat that was too hard to ignore.

Growing up in a ghetto, Sumire had to earn respect through her own means. No guy was going to see her as a weakling. No girl was going to usurp her head cheerleader status. And definitely no one was ever going to steal a boyfriend from her, faithful or not.

When she lived the poor life, it was hard to vent but it was harder to keep it in. She couldn't throw any tantrums, for if she so much would break one spoon, her mother, father_ and _brother would all give her hell for it. So she took to the streets, resorting to the hip hop culture. Rapping eventually became as easy as breathing. When she spit out rhymes, she felt like she had the power to do anything.

And then they left the ghettos for a higher standard of living. They moved into the suburbs where everything and everyone was a drone. She learned the hard way on her first day of school that she could never entirely speak her mind in this new, foreign environment. From then on, rapping was something she did under the cover of her room.

But then she met Koko, a break dancer. He took interest in her amateur breaking skills and took her in under his tutelage. Hence they became friends. Eventually, as they got to know each other better, he coaxed her to rap for him. She did, only finding out later that rapping was a hobby of his as well.

And he was evidently good at it, as much as she hated to admit, if he could hold his own against her all these years in all their rap battles.

But right now he was looking like a pesky scum of a man, hanging with girls like that, girls who would never understand the hardcore nature of the hip hop culture.

"You're not touching my cell phone," he stated firmly, _cheekily_.

Her response was shoving him into the nearest person as hard as she could.

"You're real pathetic right now, you know that?" she snapped at her boyfriend. "You're so pathetic right now."

"Well my bad if you were so bothered by it."

His bad? It was as if he had no conscience at all. Balling her hands into fists, Sumire resolved to show him exactly how bad he messed up this time. She tapped her feet to a makeshift beat, somehow drowning out the dance music in her head. _One, two, one, two..._

With another shove—akin to that of shoves that preceded fights—she began her verse, screaming above the music so that he could hear her words:

"Uh, uh. Who you be thinking you are here? Tiger Woods?  
>Got yo' bitches shuttin' they mouths till it all blows up.<br>Psshaw, I seen it, heard it, yo' pathetic skit.  
>Ego so huge, you be thinking you's the only shit<br>'round here. Pinocchio, yo' nose be gettin' big.  
>Fool me? I'm the one who wrote yo' goddamn script.<br>You talked the talk, boy.  
>Now walk the walk, boy.<br>Think you got swag but I think not, boy.  
>Got news for you brought by head cheerleader<br>but I ain't no wimp. I just call ya out how I see ya.  
>Dare be in my face actin' hard like 'mah bad?'<br>Better pay yo' respects.  
>I'll decimate yo' gonads."<p>

People surrounding them eventually noticed the scene. Curiously, they gathered into a circle and made room for couple locking horns. Koko and Sumire stood exposed at the centre.

As she finished her verse, snapping and hissing all up in his face, there were jeers and whistles coming from somewhere the audience.

Koko maintained a close to stoic face throughout the verse. His small smile showed no strain. The rascal still didn't believe he did anything wrong. It annoyed her that still he wasn't owning up to anything at all.

Even in the dim light, she could see the a glint of excitement in his eyes. Now that she challenged him, he would not back down.

She stepped back, folding her arms, motioning him to step up. And step up he did.

Rising atop the booming stereo, his voice rang out:

"Problem with you girl's that you fish for compliments  
>enough to be a turn off to any average man.<br>I live the fast life.  
>You eyeing no tyke.<br>No time to kiss yo' ass when I be getting some tonight.  
>I know your game and<br>the others whipped and  
>they chasing you 'round. They always sayin'<br>girl you so fine,  
>Girl you divine.<br>Girl you see, I get bitches all the time.  
>I ain't gonna stick around when I don't give two damns.<br>Ain't my style, braski, wham bam thank you ma'am."

By this time pretty much everyone stopped dancing and just joined the circle. The music had ceased mid verse and his voice rang out loud and clear. Even though there was no beat, his flow was immaculate.

It bothered Sumire, but pleased her at the same time how she and Koko were in the centre of the spotlight. She was bothered Mochu's friends were so intrigued by these personal matters. But at the same time adrenaline flowed through her veins. It was just like being back in the ghetto, with people surrounding her, waiting hungrily on her next move.

She looked to Koko to see if he was finished. But he wasn't. If anything, he was also more excited now that he had the full attention of everyone at the party.

"You say I got an ego?  
>I'm all talk no show?<br>I say you learn a thing or two from listening to my flow.  
>Got dough,<br>got hoes.  
>Bro, this how the good life goes.<br>Girl you just be critical,  
>and I'll be rising mo' and mo'.<br>Brothers gotta understand this girl avaricious.  
>E'retime she take me out, attitude vicious.<br>I ain't gotta stay here and listen to yo' shit.  
>How you gon' say I'm the jerk and go after my wallet?<br>Damn straight,  
>don't hate.<br>No one likes a hypocri  
>-tical mess.<br>Yeah, lass.  
>Just making a bypass.<br>I ain't wanting yo' ass  
>to sit upon my first class<br>leather seats, gettin' all dirtied up by your trash.  
>Uh yeah, you be sayin' I ain't wanted by no bitch?<br>Well I be sayin' all yo' talk ain't worth two shits.  
>Least I be a man and own up to the blame.<br>Least I ain't afraid to say that I'm a playa in the game.  
>You wait,<br>some day,  
>you gon' be a jealous wench<br>of the lucky girl who get to play the keeper in the end."

_Oohs_ and _ahhs_ and cheers in general rang out in the audience. To Sumire's dismay, a lot of people—particularly Mochu's college friends—reached out to high five Koko. There were even some teens who drew out their cell phones and started recording. More and more adolescents were coming downstairs by the minute. Evidently they heard something interesting was going on down there.

Sumire clenched her teeth so tight she was sure something was about to break off. One thing she hated about rap battles was how everyone was honest with each other. The words Koko threw at her made it hard to think of a proper response. And yet she knew backing down wasn't a possibility.

_Here goes nothing..._

Just as he was getting comfortable with himself, she snapped back ferociously:

"If I'm so avaricious, why you be hollering?  
>Why you coming back to me? Why you so tolerant?<br>Lying through your teeth to me.  
>Me n' you got a history.<br>What's she got 'gainst our two year anniversary?  
>So you say you gonna cheat.<br>Well I say I gonna leave.  
>Be happy with yo' other chicks. None will ever be like me.<br>Uh, and what you gonna do with yo' crass mouth.  
>Rinse it out with Lysterine, you stink ass cow.<br>Then give head to all your bros. You know, down south?  
>So as long as I don't have to hear another brag out.<br>You got the most testosterone?  
>Your mouth is bigger than your groin.<br>All these lies you tell your chicks  
>and I'll be laughing 'til the sixth<br>of November.  
>Remember<br>the sample.  
>Thas what you was gettin' and<br>thas what I be quittin' and  
>see if there's another chick who do it in the same way and<br>man, now it's getting hard to think, dear me.  
>Usually belligerent but I got chinks, clearly,<br>in my armor, my protection.  
>Penetrating, yo' infection.<br>When you be around, always my mind be cleared of all the questions.  
>My girls always tellin' me to forgive and forget.<br>And e'retime I say to 'em, 'not yet, not yet,'  
>cause e'retime I do that I always regret<br>not being able to see your guile revealed.  
>Thas right, I know, what you think that I'm dumb?<br>Boy, I be in your year. I am also not young,  
>not foolish, not stupid, actually quite cun-<br>nig. Yeah, bet you 'xpected me to let you up one.  
>Most girls my age these days think about<br>either they man or that girl that's been running mouth.  
>Don't take me for granted boy. I know how to doubt.<br>Cheat on me? You're the one that I am gonna squelch.  
>Nigh time, high time<br>for me to fly time.  
>I'ma leave your life time.<br>You gon' be contrite time."

There was a visible lump in Koko's throat and Sumire's lips curled up at this. At first she had been afraid that she was too personal in her lyrics, but it seemed like he was finally feeling something.

He looked at her with unquestionable conflict in his eyes.

"Step up," she commanded him. "It's your turn. Step up."

With a few coughs, he began his verse:

"Girl you be so angry and then you go be honest.  
>How you want your reply? Authentic? Dishonest?<br>You make up yo' mind  
>and I will make up mine.<br>How you gon' diss her then tell me it's high time  
>for you to leave me.<br>Commit perfidy.  
>You're slyer than a fox and smarter than a minx.<br>Girl you ain't the only one who got these chinks.  
>Mad drinks,<br>mad thinking  
>placed on myself a jinx.<br>If you take it off of me, I could be yo' prince.  
>But no, is cool.<br>I ain't asking you to  
>do a task so arduous.<br>God forbid you take a chance.  
>Second chance? Third chance? I lost count at infinite.<br>You forgave me, I forgave you.  
>Inadvertent, always argu-<br>-ing but what's the reason? Yeah, it's been long gone.  
>And this rap battle's been dragged on for too long.<br>Both strong alone.  
>Stronger yet when we're one,<br>for united we stand, and divided we fall.  
>If we make amends and stop assailing each other.<br>If we love again and start feeling each other.  
>Girl, I think then there will never be another.<br>You and I together, we're the baddest couple."

He barely finished the words when Sumire tackled him in a suffocating hug with the entire weight of her body. Koko, taken by shock, just kept a smile on his face and wrapped his own arms around her waist.

There was extensive cheering from the audience. The girl Koko was with had left somewhere, seething, after he started his last verse. Some guy was calling frantically "encore, encore!" But frankly, they didn't care about anyone else. The couple just indulged in the moment, breaking in the culture that held their tumultuous relationship together.

For the couple was finally at peace.

The new development generated a serene aura around them. There was a silence about it that Sumire found hard to accustom to. It was especially weird when Koko asked her to drive after he said he didn't want her trash dirtying his leather seats. But she supposed she might as well since he was partially drunk and never would have let her drive it otherwise.

Halfway home, a groan emitted from the back seat.

"You okay?" she asked, briefly glancing in the top mirror to see him slumped against a car window.

"Migraine. Never had to think up so many rhymes. Road's bumpy as hell. Government really needs to get going on these potholes. I have no why I'm talking 'bout the government right now. Wish I could just sleep."

"What, you want me to play a lullaby for you or something?" Sumire asked, reaching for the CD drawer at a red light.

"Nah, just rap for me. You never gave me a response."

"I'm driving."

"Rap for me," he reiterated.

She sighed. "Okay, but I can't promise it'll be good. I'm just about as tired as you are."

She tapped a beat on the steering wheel and said:

"Boy if you be sweet like that,  
>know I won't let you retract<br>your words. Remember them the next time we have a spat.  
>You ain't gon' wrong me no mo'<br>and I ain't gon' wrong you for sure.  
>Not in love but in the process.<br>Falling hard. Nobody stop this.  
>I am conscious of the conflicts.<br>They won't faze me cause you're mine now.  
>And I'll always be your one and only chick.<br>Let's get hitched in five years on November six.  
>Maybe even get your best friend Kitsuneme<br>and Wakako to come and be our witnesses."

A pregnant pause ensured after she finished her last word.

"Koko you asleep?"

There was no answer. Either he was truly asleep or he was feigning it. Sumire hoped it was the second one. If he really had fallen asleep on her, then making all those crazy plans up the top of her head would have been absolutely pointless.

But then he mumbled:

"Maybe get a white fence,  
>Maybe have a few kids.<br>Teach 'em how to rap so they can go and teach their girlfriends.  
>Have them release mixtapes<br>and then become famous.  
>Maybe one of 'em will even make a few million.<br>Then I gon' be traipsing with the Shoudas and my wife.  
>In the future, we all gon' be living the good life."<p>

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><p>The title of this fic comes from the idiom, locking horns, which means to constantly argue.<p>

Hopefully you noticed not all the words rhyme perfectly. That's because they're not supposed to. But if you go back and read some of them, you'll realize that if you change the enunciation just a slight, they flow perfectly. And that, in fact is what most rappers do.

Please review or fav if you like the story. :) I worked really hard on the rhymes.

-IndigoGrapefruit


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